MLT Club Member David Herrick
MLT Club MemberForum Replies Created
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For what it’s worth, in the next few hours Questionable should overtake I Bought Myself a Politician with regard to the total number of YouTube views.
Update: as of 10:15 AM New York time, Questionable has inched (2.54 centimetered) ahead of IBMAP.
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Continuing with Here Comes the Sun, for July 8th, V = 8269 and C = 20.1. For July 9th, V = 7637 and C = 18.6. For July 10th, V = 6710 and C = 16.3. For July 11th, V = 5282 and C = 12.8. And for July 12th, V = 4532 and C = 11.0.
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Hey, Lynn, that’s a great side calculation! I don’t have much confidence in extrapolating the numbers very far beyond a month, but if the current viewing rates hold, here are the next few videos that would reach a million views:
Africa (April 2023)
Twist and Shout (June 2023)
I’ll Be Back (July 2023)
Nowhere Man (July 2023)
Johnny B. Goode (July 2023)
Here, There and Everywhere (August 2023)
Can’t Buy Me Love (December 2023)
Revolution (May 2024)
Lola (October 2024)
I’m a Believer (November 2024)
Sound of Silence (December 2024)
Two of Us (January 2025)
Of course, there may be some as yet unreleased videos that could beat some of these to a million.
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The Monkees dabbled in trains too. We all know Last Train to Clarksville, but there was also this obscure one:
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Lots of people have covered this one, but of course I’m partial to the Seekers’ version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NZFoa4onB4
I happen to live near the very train route featured in this song, about two hours on past Danville.
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And let’s not forget the people who make train travel possible in the first place:
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From the same era as Take the A Train:
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“The Stones, I love the Stones. I can’t believe they’re still doing it after all these years… Fred and Barney.”
— Steven Wright
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Ah, that’s a really obvious one, and I didn’t even think of it! Thanks, Juergen. They also filmed a version where they’re riding in an actual open train with a large group of children.
It hadn’t ever occurred to me how well “trained” the Seekers were:
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I’ve read extensively about the Seekers, Juergen. What gave them a leg up on the other Aussie groups is that they were based in London. They got a sweet gig as the entertainment on a cruise ship from Melbourne to London, and when they got there they were immediately hired as the house band on a TV show, thanks to their agent having sent copies of their first album to various British music promoters. This gave them the exposure they needed to become a well-known commodity.
Judith had been trained as a jazz singer, and her professional goal had always been merely to be the featured singer at a Melbourne jazz club. She strongly resisted joining the group in the first place, travelling to London, staying in London beyond the originally intended two months, etc., but ultimately always yielded to what the guys wanted.
Finally in 1968 she gave the group six months’ notice that she was going to return to Melbourne to resume her jazz career, and she followed through on it. Unfortunately it didn’t work out: either jazz clubs would refuse to hire her because they only knew her as a pop singer, or patrons would be disappointed that she wasn’t singing Seekers songs.
In 1992 she patched things up with the other Seekers, and they held a wildly successful reunion tour, which led to numerous other stage and TV performances, along with a new album, over the following years until 2014. Here is what I think was their final performance of an old hit which has long served as the “goodbye” song of their concerts:
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I love The Big Bang Theory, Juergen! I was planning to ignore it when it premiered, expecting it to be another “let’s make fun of nerds” show. But I gave it a try when I found out that the writers were consulting with actual physicists, and it turned out to be delightful and relatable.
Speaking of trains on film, have you ever seen the 1976 movie Silver Streak? It takes place on (and off) a train trip from Los Angeles to Chicago. It stars Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, and it’s great!
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Didn’t recognize him! I’ve never seen him that young.
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Here’s a “permanent” version:
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Thanks again, Diana. Yeah, that one really just poured out of my head. The structure of the original meshed so well with what I wanted to say.
